Valve for wells



T. QUINN ET A1.

VALVE FOR WELLS Filed June 15.

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Filed June 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Patented pr. 8, 1930 PATENT OFFICE-THOMAS QUINN AND JOHN F. AITES, OF RIMERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA VALVE FORWELLS Application filed June 15, 1927. Serial No. 198,910.

Our invention relates to the drilling art and particularly to valves forshutting ofi' a flow of fluid from' a Well casing during the drillingoperation. In the drilling of Wells considerable trouble and loss ofvaluable fluid isexperienced by the formation of gushers Gushers areformed by the sudden piercing of a iuid bearing stratum of earth inwhich fluid is under suchtremendous pressure that it escapes through thewell casing with a high mine with aconsiderable degree of accuracy thedepth-at which the li id bearing stratum or strata will be reached.Accordingly, We

have provided a valvestructure that may be inserted on the well casingwhen the latter is of a depth approaching the supposed depth of theliquidbearing stratum. Our valve is so constructed that it does notinterefere with the drilling operation after it is placed on the casing.Should a stratumof fluid under high pressure be pierced by the drill,the drill will be Withdrawn by the drillers or'blown out of thevcasingby the'escaping fluid accord- -ing to the pressure thereof, after Whichour valve may be manipulated to close thecasing and shutvo the escape ofthe fluid Without undue Waste.

Furthermore, in the valves of the prior art,

it has been possible fo`r a deposit of sediment to accumulate in thevalve seat so that when the gate is moved to its closed positon, it is0. imperfectly seated and considerable leakage takes place. rilhedetails of the construction of our shut-oif valve are such that it isimf possible for accumulations of sediment to form in the valve seatwhen the valve is open. i ln the accompanying drawings which illustratethe present preferred embodiment of our.l inventiom- Figure 1 is aView,l partially in elevation Y and partially in section, of a Wellcasing embodying our invention;

Figure 2 isa sectional vie'w of a Well casing and valve embodying ourinvention;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken along the section line IIL-III ofFigure 2 Figure 4 is a perspective view 4of the valve gate;

Figure 5 is a sectional View of the valve taken along the section lineV-'V of Figure 3 Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail of theinvention; i

Figure 7 is-a view, similar to Figure 5, of a modified form of ourinvention;.and

Figure 8 is a View, partially in section and partially in elevation, ofa valve in closed position and a modiiied connection between the vvellcasing and the valve.

Figure 1 illustrates a well casing 2 and screen 3 to which is -attacheda valve 4 embodying our invention and through which' a drill 5 isactuated by a hoisting device 6, represent-ed diagrammatically as a pullrod. During the drilling operation, thevalve 4 is not placed in thecasing until the length of the casing and screen approaches thecalculated depth of the liquid bearing stratum the screen is expectedtobe imbedded in.

Referring to Figure 2 to 5, inclusive, the valve 4 comprises, a frame 7provided With a valve seat 8 lopening at one end of the frameand closedby acap 9 provided With a packing gland 10 and a collar 11 for thereception of a hand Wheel 12. Referring to Figure 4, a valve gate 14having a body portion 15, outwardly projecting arms 16 and a stem 17,the outer end of which is threaded at 18, lits inY the seat 8 and makesatight fit therewith. The arms 16 extend into pockets 19 formed in theframe 7. The ends of the projections 16 always close the openings of thepockets 19 to prevent the accumulation of mud or sand therein.`

A cylindrical opening 21 extends through the frame 7 and is closedby thebody portion 15 of the gate 14 when the latter is in its projectedposit-ion. When the gate is in the open position, the forward edge ofthe body portion 15 and the inner edges of the projection 16 aresubstantially tangent to the inner surface of the opening. An edge 22 ofthe frame 7 is provided With packing material 23to insure a liquid tightseal when the gate 14 is in its closed position.

The frame 7 1s provided with outstanding flanges 24 to which threadedflanges Q5 are secured by bolts 26. The threaded flanges 25 engage thecasing 2 for securing the valve in place. In assembling the valve, lowerflange 22 is threaded onto the casing 2. The frame 7 is then bolted intoposition with the upper flange 25 in place. The vcasing 2 is thenthreaded into the upper flange Q5. The flange 25 may also be threadedonto the casing 2 and then bolted to the frame 7.

The threads 18 on the stem 17 engage internal threads on the collar l1.Referring to Figure 6, the collar 11- is provided with a flange Q7engaging an internal seat 27u on the cap 9 and cylindrical portion 28 ofthe collar turns in the cap 9. Beyond the cylindrical portion 28 thecollar 11 is provided with a portion 29 of rectangular cross section toengage a squared opening in the hu'b of the hand wheel l2. Beyond theportion 29 the collar 11 is provided with a threaded portion 3() onwhich a clamp nut 3l is threaded for securing the hand wheel l2 inplace. Accordingly, the rotation of the hand wheel l2 isv transmittedthrough the collar l1 to the stem 18 and the latter is given areciprocal 'movement in accordance with the direction of movement eithehand wheel.

Referring to Figure 7, we have shown a cross sectional View of a frame32 provided with a pair of seats 34 for the reception of a pair of gates35. This form of our invention is particularly adapted for use in wellssubjected to high pressures. The rictional engagement between the edgesof the seats S4 and the projections 35 is reduced by provid-L cas1ngs,rather than to thread it on a flange.

We have provided a valve for closing ott Well casings duringthe drillingoperation when the drill pierces a luid bearing stratum under highpressure. Our shut-oft valve is inserted in the well casing and permitsoperation and withdrawal of the drill. At the same time, the valve isconstructed to prevent the` accumulation of particles of foreignrnatter,such as sand, in the valve seat which `might interfere with the closingof the valve under high pressure. l/Ve. have also provided a double formol valve that may be used 1n connection with wells where an extremelyhigh pressure is to be expected.

lVhile we have shown and described our valve 1n connection with Wellcasings, 1t 1s to be understood thatits use is not necessarily limitedto such applications as it may be used in sewers, water and gas lines,and the like, in which there is a possibility of the accumu lation ot'sediment in the valve structure, to prevent leakage when the valve isclosed. F or certain 'purposes the projecting legs may be omitted.

-It is to be understood that various other changes may be made in theinvention Without departing from the scope of the appended claims. l

lVe claim:

l. A valve structure comprising a valve gate having a guiding projectionthereon, substantially an entire outer edge of the gate and projectionlying in the same plane, said structure having a chamber therein tor thereception of the valve gate, and a pocket for-med in a wall of thechamber and extending in the direction of movement ot' the valve gate`said projection sealing the pocket against the admission otl dirt whenthe valve gate is in its open position.

Q. A valve structure comprising a valve gate having parallel guidingprojections thereon, the outer edges of said projections and gate lyingin substantially the same planes, said structure having a chambertherein for the vreception of the valve gate, and parallel pocketsformed in the wall of the chamber against which the valve gate bearswhen in its closed posit-ion, 'said guiding projections being movablelongitudinally of the pockets duringrmovement of the valve gate andsealing the pockets against the admission of dirt whenthe gate is in itsopen position.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

THOMAS QUINN. JOHN F. AITES.

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